Lifehack logo

How to Achieve Full Flexibility, Boost Core Body Strength And Relieve Lower Back, Hips & Upper Body

5 Best Stretching Exercises for Flexibility

By MAXAMAD CALIPublished 4 years ago 7 min read
How to Achieve Full Flexibility, Boost Core Body Strength And Relieve Lower Back, Hips & Upper Body
Photo by Rawan Yasser on Unsplash

It’s important to remember that achieving full flexibility doesn’t happen overnight, and it takes work, but doing so will have numerous physical and mental benefits. In addition to being able to reach your toes, you’ll also get relief from back pain and be able to perform other exercises more easily, such as the squat and the deadlift. Here are five stretches you can do at home that will help you increase your flexibility level and relieve your lower back, hips and upper body of tension.

Here are five stretches you can do at home

Working out is great. But if you want to be at your best, you’ve got to do a little bit of stretching too.

Studies show that muscles become more flexible with a combination of cardio and strength training combined with daily stretching exercises. Here are five stretches you can do right now:

1. Chest Stretch With Overhead Reach

– Place one hand on your back for support and reach for your toes as far as possible with both hands or one hand at a time. If you can’t touch your toes, hold onto something just above them so that you feel like you’re getting closer.

Hold for 30 seconds before switching sides and repeat 3 times on each side (1 set). This stretch is great for loosening up tight hamstrings and lower back muscles, which tend to be more tense than others in people who sit a lot throughout their day (like most of us!). Be sure not to bounce while stretching since that could lead to injury.

2. Quadriceps Stretch With A Towel

Loop a towel over one foot from behind, then pull it across toward your other foot until you feel a stretch in front of your thigh . Hold that position for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat with your opposite leg.

If necessary, repeat two or three times on each side. #2: The Hip Flexor Stretch Sit down on the floor and put one leg out straight in front of you so that it is at 90 degrees. Then grab hold of your other knee and pull gently but firmly toward yourself as far as possible without causing any pain.

3. Standing Hamstring Stretch

Put both hands on your hips, keep your knees straight but slightly bent, drop down into a lunge position then lean forward by bending at the waist and hinging at your hips. Walk or step forward as needed until you feel tension in your hamstrings.

Hold for 30 seconds then repeat on opposite leg. This stretch will increase flexibility in both hamstrings and is good for relieving lower back pain. Also makes for an excellent warm up before starting work out routines.

4. Hip Flexor Stretch While Standing

Bend forward until you feel a stretch in front of one leg (without rounding your back). Hold it there while breathing deeply for 30 seconds. Repeat for 5 reps on each side.

Your hip flexors are muscles that connect your upper and lower body. Tight hip flexors have been shown to be a common cause of low back pain and even sciatic nerve problems

. The good news is that by stretching them out on a regular basis you will begin to notice relief from these issues. But first, make sure not to overdo it with stretching: doing too much too soon can actually cause more tightness and pain! To find some great stretches that don't require any equipment check out my recent post: Simple Stretches You Can Do At Home Without Any Equipment . It's all about how being flexible can help improve strength as well as overall health!

5. Seated Pec Stretch

Grab one wrist with each hand and place them behind you as if sitting down into an armchair while keeping shoulders relaxed and straightened. With your back pulled in a taut line and a core activated, lean back until you feel a light stretch in your chest muscles; hold for 15 seconds before changing sides.

Holding onto something for support can help with leverage, though it's best not to rely on anything but yourself when you're first starting out so that full range of motion is possible. Repeat five times on each side three times per week for best results. Sitting on a Swiss ball is another way to get more from this exercise—just make sure you're ready for it. Balance training alone can take months, meaning you'll have plenty of time to lose faith and abandon ship; do too much too soon, however, and all at once being able to stand up without fear or injury will seem like quite a remarkable feat indeed. Remember: Don't rush things! Good things come to those who wait.

Static Stretching Benefits

Static stretching offers a number of significant benefits. Done properly, static stretching can improve flexibility by lengthening muscles and increasing joint range of motion. It can also help build muscle strength and stamina in an activity or sport.

Additionally, regular static stretching may relieve lower back pain and protect against injury. That said, it's important not to overdo it; if you feel soreness or have lingering stiffness after stretching, you've probably stretched too far. At that point, your body is telling you it needs rest before another workout.

Give yourself one day off between workouts that include two days of light exercise and two days of rest each week. If your body doesn't need recovery time on that third day—in other words, if you're still sore—it's likely you're pushing yourself too hard and need more rest than what your routine provides for.

Dynamic Stretching Benefits

Stretching is one of those things that a lot of people do when they exercise, but a lot of them just don’t do it often enough or in ways that are going to get them maximum benefits. By being more dynamic in your stretching routine and actively thinking about your flexibility goals, you’ll be able to greatly improve your body’s range of motion over time.

Dynamic stretching has several advantages over static stretching, including greater effectiveness at increasing muscle length and improving functional movement such as balance, coordination and agility.

The best part is that dynamic stretches can be completed during any workout—you can incorporate them into almost any warm-up or cool-down routine!

Since there are so many different kinds of stretches out there (static, active isolated, ballistic), what type should you be using? It largely depends on your personal goals; each kind has its own distinct purpose! For most athletes and exercise enthusiasts looking to increase their physical performance in sports activities (particularly team sports),

it’s best to use an active isolated stretch like high knees runs where you have to balance yourself while extending both legs out behind you with straight arms overhead.

The Best Flexibility Exercises

To make an exercise routine that will help you stretch and gain flexibility, start with these five essential moves. Choose a total of four exercises: two for your upper body (i.e., arms) and two for your lower body (i.e., legs). For each workout session, repeat each exercise once before moving on to another one. Perform each set three times with a 30-second rest between sets. After completing all of your sets and exercises, rest one minute before doing it all again. Complete at least 3 workouts per week; 4 or 5 is better. Remember, consistency is key! Depending on your level of fitness and flexibility, be sure to modify any exercises that cause pain or discomfort by making them easier so you can perform them comfortably in order to gain maximum benefits from stretching.

Essential Tips for Successful Stretching

When it comes to flexibility and core body strength, there’s no such thing as one size fits all. Here are some essential tips for stretching exercises for your body type. As always, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine or diet plan. The first step in learning how to achieve full flexibility is knowing where you want (and don’t want) it. Generally speaking, stretching exercises should be tailored to target problem areas – whether that means your lower back pain, neck stiffness or poor ankle mobility. There are many ways to target these specific areas.

essential tips for stretching exercises for your body type

Stretching exercises for your body type are important for you if you're trying to achieve full flexibility, boost core body strength and relieve lower back, hips and upper body pain.

So what kind of stretching exercises should you perform? The following information will help you determine your ideal stretching routine: Knowing Your Body Type is Critical - Stretching exercises for your body type are important because it is likely that some areas of your body will be more flexible than others.

You may want to focus on loosening up muscles in those areas first. To determine your body type, stand in front of a mirror and examine yourself from head to toe. Think about which parts of your body seem inflexible.

Which parts have lots of muscle tone? If there's a major difference between one side of your body and another—for example, one leg seems much tighter than the other—you may have an unevenly developed musculature (we call it functional asymmetry). If you’re extremely out-of-whack like me (I remember saying Holy crap!

conclusion

Achieving full flexibility can be challenging, but it’s incredibly rewarding. On top of that, there are several important benefits associated with being flexible. Full flexibility helps protect your body from injury and it’s also a key part of good posture.

While full flexibility isn’t something that happens overnight, focusing on these basic stretches and using a few techniques can go a long way toward getting you close to your goal.

Best of all: The benefits go beyond improved range of motion—they make for better posture too! So don’t get frustrated when progress is slow; if you put in some effort over time, you will gradually become more flexible in most areas of your body—it just takes work!

health

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.